With eight different teams winning a championship in the last eight seasons, the Golden State Warriors remain the NBA's last dynasty. They enjoyed one of the most dominant runs in league history between 2015 and 2022, marked by four championships and six Finals appearances.
Playing a temporary yet pivotal role in this dynastic run was Kevin Durant , who signed with the 73-9 team in 2016, leading to a major shift in the league's power dynamics, paving the way for a juggernaut. He became the overnight villain, and the Warriors were now the most hated team.
Adding to it were doubts about Durant meshing with Steve Kerr's roster, which already featured established names like Stephen Curry , Klay Thompson , Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala .
When it came to super teams, managing egos is key. Hence, with Curry coming off back-to-back MVP seasons and being the face of the franchise, there were bound to be questions about his sharing the stage with another superstar, which in this case was Durant.
Nonetheless, such issues were never a concern for Curry, who already had the reputation of a selfless superstar.
"I'd be an idiot not to understand his value to the team and to be afraid of being around other talented people. I knew that together we could push each other to heights neither of us could have imagined. But I overcomplicated it (working with Durant, Thompson and other teammates) at the beginning. We worked through it and got two championships," Curry said back in 2020.
While they had all the resources in the world to get the job done, it didn't mean that the Warriors were immune to pressure, given the constant scrutiny and almost zero room for error. Fortunately, for Dub Nation, the decision to sign Durant paid solid dividends from its first year.
Not only did Durant lead the Warriors to back-to-back championships in 2017 and 2018, but he was also the team's best player and was named Finals MVP on both occasions. They appeared poised for a three-peat in 2019 before Durant's Achilles injury in the Finals derailed those hopes.
By the end of it, the constant media attention and social media trolling began to take their toll on Durant, whether it was his public fallout with Green or reported tensions with Kerr. Eventually, he didn't re-sign with the team after entering free agency in 2019.
After signing with the Brooklyn Nets in 2019, Durant's tenure in the Bay Area officially came to an end. Many believe that had he stayed with Golden State, they could have certainly won a couple more rings. Unlike his previous departure, there was no malice this time around, with Curry being nothing but grateful for Durant's time with the team.
"Again, I like to look at what we accomplished and focus on that. And be extremely proud of this run that we had. And now we're going to have to recreate it in terms of what it means going forward," Curry said.
As far as No. 30 taking a back seat or sharing the spotlight with Durant is concerned, it didn't really matter in the end, given that Curry won a title before Durant joined in 2015 and after he left in 2022, proving that sacrificing for the team's overall success never went to waste.
Related: "Right there with Curry": Isiah Thomas names Kevin Durant the NBA's best pure shooter
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Jul 6, 2026, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
